Few would have predicted Japan’s journey to the 2018 Russia World Cup round of 16 but it appears they have their own psychic animal to thank.

Rabiot – a giant Pacific octopus from Hokkaido seemingly named after French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who was left out of France’s squad – became a national phenomenon after it predicted Japan’s win over Colombia, draw with Senegal and loss to Poland as they squeezed out of group H.

You could have got overall odds of 27-1 for those three results, according to Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shinbum. Rabiot’s 100 per cent record also tops fellow psychic World Cup star Achilles the deaf Russian cat, who wrongly predicted a Nigeria win over Argentina in the group stages.

Videos show the French-Japanese mollusc at work, siding up to either the Japanese flag, the opposing team’s flag or a sign saying ‘draw’ in Japanese in a paddle pool split three ways.

Unfortunately, as the Samurai Blue undergo final preparations ahead of their historic game on Tuesday, fans will be devastated to learn that Rabiot was gutted, cleaned and sent off to the market only days after Japan’s qualification.

Rabiot’s owner and local fisherman Kisuo Abe told Mainichi that he was happy Rabiot correctly predicted all three of Japan’s group matches, adding that he hoped the ‘“second Rabiot can help Japan go all the way”.

An unappetising end to what was such a bright start … perhaps an idea of what to expect of Japan against the third-ranked Belgians.